Happy Valentine's Day!

I use to hate Valentine's Day. It was just another day to remind me of my failings, how some people were treated "better" than I felt treated and how "unloved" I was. Now I know it's hogwash. Receiving flowers and candy don't make you special or loved, they are things that either end up in the trash or toilet (well they do:). The fact that I didn't feel special on ANY day of the year was not going to change because it was Valentine's Day. A dozen roses and a box of chocolates would have made me feel good, for a while, but would have little effect on the overall way that I felt about myself. It wasn't about how people treated me or how loved I was, it was my inner voice that was doing me in.

I am married now to someone who is not exactly romantic and has rarely bought me flowers or candy. I actually find it kind of ironic considering for all those years that's what I thought I wanted. I'm not going to lie and say that I don't like those things, I do, but receiving them or not will make no difference in how I will feel today. I will be happy because I have a husband who comes home every evening to be with his family and I have a daugher who delights in being chased around the house and a cat who meows just because I am there. Not big deals, but wonderful and special none the less. They don't cost a thing, don't make be gain weight and don't end up in the trash. All this may change by next year, my husband may leave me, my cat, who is old, may be gone and my daughter may no longer delight in being active and simply want to watch TV. The fact is, who knows what tomorrow brings, there are no guarantees in life and no promises that might not be broken.
Enjoy today, Valentine's Day, enjoy tomorrow, Wednesday and every other day that you are given and welcome them with a smile, because they are a gift you shouldn't throw in the trash or flush down the toilet.